Final Workshop of the Research Project "Eye in the Sky" to support decision-making in rural firefighting operations
On December 15, the Final Workshop of the Research Project "Eye in the Sky" to support decision-making in rural firefighting operations took place at the Forest Fire Research Laboratory in Lousã Airfield, as a result of a consortium among IDMEC, ADAI and the Telecommunications Institute.
On December 15, the Final Workshop of the Research Project "Eye in the Sky" to support decision-making in rural firefighting operations took place at the Forest Fire Research Laboratory in Lousã Airfield, as a result of a consortium among the Mechanical Engineering Institute (IDMEC), the Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics (ADAI) and the Telecommunications Institute.
The research project "Eye in the Sky" makes use of a high-altitude balloon to detect and monitor rural fires, in combination with a drone for closer surveillance, performing a range of necessary functions before, during and after a rural fire. The balloon's operation at high altitude allows for an integrated view of the fire perimeter and the burned area, as well as strengthens the communications system in the theatre of operations, serving as a signal repeater antenna. The solution "Eye in the Sky" is, to a certain extent, comparable to a mini-satellite dedicated to an event or an area of interest, allowing an operation time of several hours, without interfering with other aerial means used to manage the event.
This research project "Eye in the Sky" is the result of a consortium of 3 entities, with funding from FCT during the last 4 years. Namely, IDMEC of Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon, ADAI of Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia of the University of Coimbra, and also, the Institute of Telecommunications.
Alexandra Moutinho, principal investigator of DEM, highlighted the importance of this project. "It is a research project that aims to provide a proof of concept of the advantage of combining high-altitude balloons with drones, in this case a flying wing, to achieve an ample coverage and a great capability of view and communications for environmental monitoring and surveillance". The balloon can go up to 35 km in altitude (stratosphere), and the drone can be dropped during its ascent, at any altitude, such as 5 km or 10 km, which allows a great view capability.
Alexandra Moutinho also underlined the potential impact of this project. "This type of technology takes its time to mature, especially when developed within Universities. The funding ended at this point, but the project will not stop here. It managed to capture the interest of many entities, mainly the Army, Navy, SIRESP and GNR."